Motorhead

Rock and roll, at least the really good stuff, is rarely a pretty thing to behold. And watching the classic Motörhead lineup of bassist Lemmy Kilmister, drummer Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor, and guitarist “Fast” Eddie Clarke detail the making of their watershed album, Ace of Spades, you’re constantly reminded of that fact. But it’s not as if this DVD is some kind of Behind the Music claptrap that focuses on everything but the music. The kick-ass Classic Albums series (which includes Who’s Next, Dark Side of the Moon, and Electric Ladyland, among many others), prides itself on documenting pretty much everything orbiting a band when they’re about to record their master work, as well as the circumstances leading up to it. In this case, that means some stoney footage of Lemmy’s previous band, Hawkwind, as well as some early Motörhead clips. You also get the three men responsible for the album that brought together punks and metalheads, reuniting to play some of the record’s tracks. Well, kind of. See, it appears that Lemmy and Taylor are playing together on a soundstage (sans vocals), while Clarke’s image appears to be digitally beamed-down from the Starship Enterprise. Bizarre to say the least, but what the hell—at least they sound good. Don’t forget the joker! Eagle Vision. —Darrin Fox